Door opening and closing apparatus



F. K. SMITH DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1924 A\HHHHHU NHL? I I Patented .Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES FRANKLIN KEITH SMITH, OF LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 19, 1924, Serial No. 693,777, and in CanadaDecember 27, 1923.

This invention relates to door opening and closing apparatus and moreparticularly to that type of apparatus in which the door is positivelyoperated from its closed position to its open position and vice versa,and in which one operation causes a sequence of movements to return thedoor to-its original psition and my object is to provide simple andeffective mechanism for effecting the above movements.

I attain my object by means of the constructions which include areversing motor as hereinafter described and illustrated in i theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of thedoors and the apparatus for closin the same;

Fig.2 a wiring diagram oi the electric circuits showing the switch forthe motor circuits in one position;

Fig. 3 a wiring diagram of the electric circuits diagrammaticallyshowing the switch in the opposite position;

Fig. i a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the mainswitch is operated;

Fig. 5 a diagrammatic view showing the two arrangements of theconnections of the motor circuits; and i Fig. "6 a cross section of theswitch shown in Fig. 2.

1 and 2 are a pair of doors slidably mounted on a track 3 so that theymay be opened and closed'by pushing them in opposite directions orpulling them towards one another respectively. To automatically open thedoors on the approach of a vehicle towards them and to close them afterthe ve hicle has )assed through the doorway I provide the ollowingmeans.

A flexible member 4 is secured at 5 to each door. These members arepreferably formed of cable or rope and'have theirends secured to one endof a tension springet. The opposite end of the spring is connected to aflexible member or chain 6 which is passed round a pulley 7 having aperipheral groove which may have teeth formed therein (not shown) forengagementwith alternate links of the chain. To each fastening means 5is secured a second flexible member 8. These members are similar to themembers 4 and each member 8 may be formed integral with the adjacentmember 4. The free ends of the members 8 are connected with one end of atension spring 8, the other end of which evident that by re-arrangingthe pulleys 9 the members 4. and 8 would operate a pair of swing doors.A single sliding or swinging door could also be operated by omitting oneset of the flexible members 4 and 8.

- To efi'ect the desired movements of the chain 6 by means of the ulley7, the motor 10, adapted to be reversed as hereinafter described, isprovided. On the shaft of the motor is secured a worm l1 meshing with aworm wheel 12 secured to a shaft 13 on which the pulley 7 is alsosecured. The worm drive is also adapted to serve as a lock for the doorsand hold them as positioned by the motor.

Circuits formed by the wires A, B, C and D are provided which lead tothe motor so that bychanging the connections the flow of current throughthe field coils or the armature may be reversed to effect the reversalof the motor in a known manner. this reversal I provide. a switch 18having the movable arms a, b and d adapted torespectively engage eitherone of the contacts F, E; C, and B B and C. The arms a, b and d arepivotally connected with- -the terminals A and A and D respectively.

In the drawings a.

To effect The wire A is connected with the terminals A and A the wire Bto the contacts 13 and B, the wire G to the contacts C and C and thewire D to the terminal I).

The switch arms are connected by an in sulating bar 31 so that they maybe moved simultaneously. To this bar are suitably connected theoapositely directed actuating members 31* an 3l which pass through theop osite sides of the switch box in which the switch mechanism ismounted. It will be noted that each switch arm is formed withtwo'portions extending substantially at right angles to one another.This permits one portionof each arm to be in. engagement with theadjacent contact while .the other portion is in its off position. Thisarrangement considerably rlzduces the amount direction when the switchof movement required to move the arms from engagement with one set ofcontacts into engagement with the other set of contacts, see Fig. 6.

Electrical energy is fed, by means of a circuit 17 connected to asuitable source of supply, to the circuits formed by the wires A, B, Cand D. One wire of this circuit is connected to the wire D while theother wire of the circuit is connected to a movable contact 141 of acontrolling switch 14 for the said circuits. Preferably two contacts 14are provided which are insulated from and carried on opposite sides of asliding bar 15 and are both connected with the sec ond wire of thecircuit 17. The upper contact is adapted to engage a terminal E and thelower contact is adapted to engage a terminal F when the bar 15 israised and lowered respectively. The terminals E and F are carried inthe frame of the switch 14 and are respectively connected, by the wiresE and F to the contacts E and F. The sliding bar is provided withsprings 16 adapted to normally hold it in its raised position wherebythe current will be normally led to the contact E When the bar islowered the current will be led to the contact F and thus when the armsa, b and d of the switch 18 are in the position shown in Fig. 2, thecurrent will pass from this contact through the arm a to the terminal A,through wire A to the motor and to terminal A then through arm Z) tocontact G and through wire C to motor thus connecting wires A and C. Thewires D will be connected, through the terminal D, arm at, contact B, tothe wire B. These connections are adapted to revolve the motor in acertain direction to cause the doors to be opened.

The sliding bar 15 is adapted to be depressed by the weight of a vehicleapproaching the doors, to cause the motor to open the latter. Thesliding bar is adjustably carried on a pair of rods 19 suitably guidedin the frame of the switch 1d and to the upper end of these rods issecured a cross bar 20. The switch 14: is located outside the doors withthe cross bar 20 normally positioned slightly above the level of theground. To enable the doors to be opened while the vehicle isapproaching them and to prevent the doors being closed before thevehicle is clear thereof, a plank is rested intermediate its ends on thecross bar so that it forms a runway on each side of the latter, see Fig.The movable arms of the switch 18 are adapted to automatically break theactive door opening or door closing motor circuit, when the doors arefully opened or closed, andto reverse the motor connections whereby thedoors will be moved in the opposite 14 is again moved.

This is accomplished by securing a flexible member 21 to each of theactuating members 31 and passing the said members over suitable guidepulleys. The other ends of these members are connected to light coilsprings 21 which are suitably connected with sleeves 22 disposed onopposite ends of the chain 6. Each end of the chain is provided with alateral projection 23, which may be formed as a bolt passed through oneof the links of the chain and adapted to engage the adjacent sleeve.Either one of the sleeves is thus engaged when the chain has movedsutiiciently in either direction to open or close the doors, to pull oneof the actuating members and thus disengage the switch arms a, b and (Zfrom the active set of contacts F, C and B or E B and C and thus breakthe motor circuit. This ull on either of the actuating members is aapted to also move the switch arms into engagement with the opposite setof the switch contacts and thus condition the other motor circuit forreversing the direction of the motor to move the doors in the oppositedirection after the switch 14 is again moved.

Assuming the doors are closed as shown in Fig. 1 and a vehicle isapproaching them as indicated in full lines in Fig. 4, and the switch 18is positioned as shown in Fig. 2, the mode of operation is as follows.As soon as the front wheels of the vehicle rest on the plank 30 theswitch sliding bar 15 is depressed to bring the lower Contact 14* intoengagement with the terminal F. The current will then pass through onewire of the lead-in circuit 17 through the contact 14:, terminal F, wireF 3 to the contact F. From this point it is passed through the wires Aand C, as hereinbefore described, to the motor 10. The other wire of theleadin circuit 17 is connected with the contact D which is electricallyconnected with the wires B and D which are connected to the motor 10, ashereinbefore described. The motor will thus be rotated in a certaindirection to open the doors as previously mentioned. This rotates thepulley 7 and actuates the chain 6, the s ring 4 permittin the motor toget speede up before the load is applied thereto. This spring alsoabsorbs the shock of the load and permits it to be gradually taken up bythe motor. When the spring is stretched to nearly its limit ofelasticity the flexible members 4 are moved to open the doors. As thechain 6 is being moved the projection 23, adjacent the spring a, engagesthe adjacent sleeve 22 and stretches its spring connection 21". Then thedoors have been fully opened the spring connection is adapted to pullthe flexible member 21 and thus the actuatin member 31 to rock theswitch arms a, b an (1 out of engagement with the contacts F, C, B andinto engagement with the contacts E B and C. The door opening motorcircuits are thus broken and the switch 18 moved to condition the othermotor circuits for completion.

When the vehicle has passed through the doorway and out of engagementwith the plank 30, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the springs16 return the sliding bar 15 to its normal position and the current thenpasses from one wire of the lead-in circuit 17 through the upper contact14, terminal E, wire E contact E arm a, ter minal A, wire A to the motor10 and to the terminal A arm 1), contact 13", wire B to the motor, see li 8. The wires and B are thus connecte The other wire of the leadincircuit which is connected with the terminal D and wire D to the motoris also connected, through the arm d, contact 0, with the wire C to themotor, thus connecting the wires C and D. The motor circuits are thusconnected to reverse the direction of theflow of current to the motorand thus reverse the direction of movement of the chain 6. Thisstretches the spring 8 and actuates the members 8 to close the doors.The projection 23 adjacent the spring 8" then engages its adjacentsleeve 22 to actu ate the member 31 to break the motor door closingcircuits, when the doors are fully closed and to also throw the switcharms into engagement with the contacts F, C and B. The motor dooropening circuits are thus reversed for operation and will be completedwhen the switch bar 15 is again depressed to cause the above cycles ofoperation to be again repeated.

The sprin s 4 and 8 absorb all shocks due to the oors engaging anythingwhile moving from one position to another and they also keep the members4 and 8 taut at all times.

To prevent any unauthorized person opening the doors by standing on theplank 30 I provide a manually operated switch 24 connected in thelead-in circuit 17 and located at any suitable position away from thedoors. When my device is applied to the doors of a public garage theswitch 24 would be located in the office thereof while in the case of aprivate garage the switch 7 would preferably be in the owners house.

In. some instances, such as when the device is installed in a largepublic garage, it

may be desirable to control the movements of the door or doors from theofiice of the garage and in this case a manually operated three pointswitch may be substituted for the switch 14. The three point switch isdiagrammatically shown in Fig. 3, the leadin wire of the circuit 17being connected with the movable arm 14c and the wires E and F beingconnected with the two contacts of the switch. The current may be passedto the contacts E or F of the switch 18 by engaging the correspondingcontacts of the three way switch. The device may be locked with thedoors in any desired position by simpl r moving the arm 14' out ofengagement with both of its contacts.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In door opening and closing apparatus, thecombination of adoor; an electric motor; circuits connected with saidmotor for sup plying electrical energy thereto; a switch for making andbreaking said circuits and including a movable part for reversing theconnections to the motor to reverse its direction of rotation; aflexible member adapted to be moved by the motor; a suitably guidedflexible member connected with the ends of the first mentioned memberand with the door for moving the latter in the opposite directions;projections carried by the first mentioned member, means connected withthe movable part of. the switch and adapted to be engaged by theprojections to cause the said movable part to be actuated in onedirection when the door has been fully opened and to cause the said partto be actuated in the opposite direction when the door has been fullyclosed to cause the said switch to break the active circuit and toreverse the connections; and a switch for closing either circuit wherebythe door may be alternately moved in opposite directions.

2. In door opening and closing apparatus, the combination of a door; anelectric mo tor; circuits connected with said motor for supplyingelectrical energy thereto; a switch for making and breaking saidcircuits and including amovable part for reversing the connections tothe motor to reverse its direction of rotation; a flexible memberadapted to'be moved by the motor; a suitably guided flexible memberconnected with the ends of the first mentioned member and with the doorfor moving the latter in opposite directions; projections carried by thefirst mentioned member; sleeves disposed on the ends of the firstmentioned member and adapted to be engaged by the said projections, thesleeves being connected with the said movable part in such a manner thatthe latter is actuated in one direction when the door has been fullyopened and is actuated in the opposite direction when the door has beenfully closed to cause the switch to break the active circuit and toreverse the connections; and a switch for closing either circuit whereby the door may be alternately moved in opposite directions.

3. In door opening and closing apparatus, the combination of a door; anelectric mo tor; circuits connected with said motor for supplyinelectrical energy thereto; a switch for making and breaking the saidcircuits and including a movable part for reversing the connections tothe motor to reverse its direction of rotation; a flexible memberadapted to be moved by the motor; a suitably guided flexible memberconnected with the ends of the first mentioned member and with the doorfor moving the latter in the opposite directions; project-ions carriedby the first mentioned member; sleeves disposed on the ends of the firstmentioned member and adapted to be engaged by the said projectionsoppositely directed actuating mem bers connected to the said movablepart of the switch; yielding connections between the sleeves and theactuating members to actuate the movable part in one direction when thedoor has been fully opened and in the opposite direction when the doorhas been fully closed, to cause the switch to break the active circuitand to reverse the connections; and a switch for closing eithercircuitwhereby the door may be alternately moved in opposite directions.

4. A door operating mechanism including a door movin member operativelyconnected with the dbor; a motor operatively connected with the member;a switch for controlling the motor and including a movable part forreversing the direction of rotation of the 1notor;'projections carriedby the member; sleeves disposed on the member and adapted to be engagedby the projections, the sleeves being connected with the movable part ofthe switch in such a manner that the said movable part is actuated inone direction when the door has been fully opened and is actuated in theopposite direction when the door has been fully closed to actuate thesaid'switch to circuit breaking and reverse position; and a manuallycontrolled switch for controlling the current to the said reversingswitch.

Signed at London, Ontario, this 6th day of February, 192 i.

' FRANKLIN KEITH SMITH.

